Simple Is Better
by SH23
Summary: 'Hey, I know what you could do,' gasped Naruto. 'Cook a huge bowl of ramen for her and put a ring in it. She'll find it after she finishes the whole thing.' Sasuke stared at him. 'No,' he deadpanned. 'The proposal is supposed to be for Sakura, not you. Dobe.' Post 699, pre 700. SasuSaku. Mild NaruHina and SaiIno. Team 7 friendship. Sequel to Return & Reciprocate.
1. Homely

**A/N: **Hello, hello! Let me start by thanking you all for the great response I received for my last two stories. It led to the creation of this one. For those of you who don't know, this story is the last part of a trilogy; the first of which chronologically is 'Where His Contentment Lies', followed by 'Return and Reciprocate' and then finally, this. I recommend that you read those before this for better comprehension of some things but it can still be read as a separate story too.

I got a lot of input from you all regarding what I should include in this sequel. Some wanted to see what their relationship might've been like after they got married, some wanted to see what happened before their marriage, some wanted to see me write the proposal. Some wanted to see a pregnant Sakura lol. Some of you suggested really unique things too like their honeymoon, Sakura's equivalent for Sasuke's forehead poke and more. So, I tried to include as much of all that as I could. The first 4 chapters of this story will show their pre-marital relationship and the proposal. After that, I will include one bonus chapter showing their relationship after marriage. Whether that will be set before or after Sarada's birth, I still haven't decided.

**Important:  
><strong>1) This story alternates between Sakura's POV (point of view) and Sasuke's POV.  
>2) This chapter begins with Sakura's POV.<br>3) .-.-. marks the end of one POV and the beginning of another.  
>4) Thoughts and flashbacks are in italics.<br>5) Words that are emphasized are also in italics.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Sakura paced out of the kitchen, draping her white coat over her arm. With one last glance at the mirror, she stepped up to the door and twisted the handle, pulling it open.<p>

Emerald met onyx.

'Sasuke-kun!' she exhaled.

'Good morning,' he smiled.

'G-good morning,' she blushed.

He had been waiting outside her house. Again. Sakura knew she should have gotten used to it by now but the sight of him outside her door still made her jump... every time.

'D-did you wait long today?' she asked worriedly.

He shook his head.

'You should've… just come in,' she continued.

Sasuke smirked. 'Soon.'

Sakura beamed.

'Come on,' he continued as he took a step towards the street and motioned her to follow. 'You'll get late.'

She nodded and the two started walking.

It had been almost eight weeks since Sasuke's return and for the past seven or so, almost every morning, Sakura had walked out of her house to find Sasuke already waiting there; at the door, or leaning against a wall, sometimes, sitting on the grass in her front yard. He would then walk with her, all the way to the hospital; sometimes chatting, sometimes just silently. He would drop her off and then dart away to whatever business he had to deal with that day, only to show up again right before her shift ended and then, he would walk her back home. On some days, he had even visited during her lunch break. Sakura had expected things to change after the events following his return but this… this she hadn't even _imagined_. This was perfect. Her _life_ was perfect.

'Did you eat?' questioned his deep voice, just as it did every day.

'Yes, Sasuke-kun,' Sakura sighed playfully.

He smirked. 'What did you eat?'

'A bowl of cornflakes,' she replied.

'All of it?'

'Yes!' she stressed. 'I'm sure you still haven't eaten though, right?'

Sasuke looked at her guiltily. 'No.'

'Why do you do this, Sasuke-kun?' she groaned.

'Don't worry,' he sighed. 'I'm going over to the dobe's for breakfast after dropping you off.'

Sakura blinked. 'Really?'

Sasuke rarely ate _any_ breakfast these days, let alone with people. The idea of him going to Naruto's to eat was certainly a pleasant one though.

'Hn,' he nodded.

She smiled. 'Say hi to him and Hinata for me!'

'Aa.'

As they entered the busier part of the village, his good hand curled around her wrist before sliding down to lock with her own. This was something he had made a habit out of too. It seemed like an effort to establish her as his in everybody's eyes, or so Sakura liked to believe. She blushed at the thought. They weren't bound by vows like Naruto and Hinata, they hadn't labelled themselves an item like Sai and Ino. They were just… Sasuke and Sakura. And they would always belong to each other.

Sasuke stopped, indicating that they had reached the hospital. Sakura reluctantly untangled her hand from his.

'Alright then,' she smiled. 'See you later, Sasuke-kun.'

Sasuke brushed aside her hair and planted a firm kiss on her forehead. 'Take care.'

Her lips parted. Now, _that _was something he didn't do every day. What exactly had she done to earn the extra amount of affection? Before she could voice that thought though, Sasuke had bolted off. And so, she just smiled and turned to enter her workplace. A familiar face, at the entrance, caught her eye. And suddenly, it all made too much sense.

'_Hitoshi-san,'_ mused Sakura.

Sasuke hadn't been acting overly affectionate, he had been acting _possessive_.

'Oh, Sasuke-kun,' sighed Sakura.

.-.-.

_Ding_.

Sasuke withdrew his hand from the small button situated next to the door of Naruto's newly constructed house.

After a few seconds, the door swung open to reveal the woman who had recently become his best friend's wife. Nothing had surprised him more after his return than the fact that the dobe had actually gotten married. He had missed the wedding but he certainly hadn't missed the opportunity to use his dark sense of humor when choosing the wedding gift. He had gotten a fabric painter to design a special mini t-shirt for whenever the idiot would have a kid.

'_What did you want me to write on it again?' the man had questioned in disbelief._

'_My Dad is a dobe,' Sasuke had emphasized._

Naruto's reaction had been priceless. And Sasuke was sure he would return the favor when the day arrived. A day that, if all went right, would be just around the corner.

'Good morning, Sasuke-san,' greeted Hinata, bringing him back to the present.

Sasuke nodded politely. 'Morning.'

She stepped aside to give him space and he walked in.

'TEME!' he heard a familiar voice scream out and the blonde head of his friend popped out of the living room.

'Naruto-kun has been waiting for you,' chuckled the Hyuuga before walking back towards the kitchen.

Sasuke snorted.

'Come here!' urged Naruto and Sasuke complied.

He strode into the living room and found Naruto sitting at the table, smiling eagerly.

'Morning, bastard,' he said as Sasuke took a seat opposite to him.

Sasuke grunted in response.

'We're having ramen for breakfast!' grinned Naruto.

Sasuke sighed. 'Why am I not surprised?'

Naruto chuckled. 'Hinata makes the_ best_ ramen! I am so lucky to have her!'

'I… I have to talk to you,' began Sasuke, a faint blush creeping up on his cheeks.

'Huh?' blinked Naruto. 'About what?'

Sasuke's relationship with Sakura did not have a title right now. He didn't call her his girlfriend because, in his opinion, that would be demeaning. She meant _more_ to him. _Wife_ probably wouldn't be enough either; the right word simply did not exist. But marriage was something that would bind them in a manner that nothing else could. And he wanted that. He wanted her to be his in every possible way, and he wanted her to have the security of him being forever hers too. He wanted to marry her. He just needed to figure out how to propose first.

'Food is ready,' chanted Hinata as she entered the room with a tray.

Both men turned to her as she walked up to the table and carefully placed three large bowls of ramen on it. She then set a pair of chopsticks next to each bowl, before finally taking a seat next to her husband.

'Well, let's dig in!' Naruto beamed, grabbing his chopsticks and starting like there was no tomorrow.

Sasuke picked up his sticks and began eating as well, as did Hinata.

'Oh yeah,' spoke up Naruto, swallowing a mouthful of soup. 'What did you wanna talk about, Sasuke?'

Sasuke gulped down some noodles. He cleared his throat.

'I…,' he said hesitantly. 'Sakura…'

'Sakura-chan?' blinked Naruto and Hinata turned her attention to them as well. 'What about Sakura-chan?'

'I… want to…'

'Want to what?!' demanded Naruto impatiently. 'Tell me already, bastard!'

'I want to…'

He just couldn't bring himself to say it. His cheeks were on fire now.

'Propose,' finished Hinata.

_Yes!_ Wait, what? How did she know? Sasuke turned to find Hinata smiling at him. He covered his face with his hands.

'PROPOSE?!' bellowed Naruto, standing up. A grin broke out on the blonde's face as realization suddenly hit him. 'You and Sakura-chan are going to get MARRIED!' he shrieked. 'You're going to have KIDS! I'm going to be an UNCLE!' he gasped. 'Hinata! You're going to be an aunt!'

'Shut up, dobe!' Sasuke yelled, also getting to his feet. 'I don't even… I don't even know how… to propose.'

'Ohhh so, you want our help! That's why you're here today!' concluded Naruto.

'Yes,' muttered Sasuke, sitting back down. 'You've already done it, so you'd know…'

'Well, not everyone is as smooth as me, you know,' smirked Naruto, also taking his seat again.

'Please,' chuckled Hinata. 'Don't listen to him, Sasuke-san. You'll do just fine. Sakura-chan will surely say yes.'

'I just want… her to feel special,' Sasuke sighed. 'How did the dobe do it?'

'I'll tell you!' said Naruto excitedly. 'I… looked into her eyes,' he started, turning to Hinata. 'And told her that… Hinata, I want to be with you until the day I die. And she understood.'

Hinata blushed.

'Yeah, I… I can't do that,' admitted Sasuke.

'Just do something nice for her, Sasuke-san,' advised Hinata. 'In your own way.'

'Hey, I know what you could do!' gasped Naruto. 'Cook a huge bowl of ramen for her and put a ring in it. She'll find it after she finishes the whole thing.'

Sasuke stared at him. 'No,' he deadpanned. 'The proposal is supposed to be for Sakura, not you. Dobe.'

'Actually, Sasuke-san,' began Hinata. 'Leaving out the rest of what Naruto-kun said, cooking might actually be a good idea. A lot of girls think it's very romantic if a man cooks for them. I'm sure Sakura-chan will be impressed too. Maybe you could invite her over and arrange a cozy, little dinner for the two of you. It'll set the mood just right for a proposal.'

For once, the idea actually didn't seem half bad to Sasuke. It would be quiet and private, just the way he liked. And he did know how to cook so, that wouldn't be a problem. Dumplings. Sakura liked dumplings. He could try to make those. Perhaps some rice balls and salad too.

'Hinata,' began Naruto awkwardly. 'I can also cook for you tonight, you know.'

'That's okay, Naruto-kun,' smiled Hinata. 'I like cooking for you.'

Sasuke groaned. _'Cheesy.' _He stood up. 'Thank you for the meal,' he nodded at Hinata. 'Later, dobe.'

'Wait! We haven't even sparred yet!' complained Naruto. 'Why are you leaving already?'

'Ingredients,' was all that Sasuke said before walking out the door.

.-.-.

Sakura yawned as she walked out of the hospital, done with all her work for the day. It had been a busy one and she was now ready to just drop down on her bed and drift off into dreamland. She closed her eyes, imagining the comfort and found herself almost falling before a strong hand clamped on her left arm and forced her to stand.

'Sakura, are you okay?'

Sakura shook her head and opened her eyes. 'Sasuke-kun?'

Of course. He had come to pick her up again. Just like he always did.

'You okay?' he repeated, concern obvious on his face.

'Y-yeah,' she nodded. 'I'm just… tired,' she yawned again. 'Had a lot of patients today.'

'Should I carry you?' he said.

The question seemed to cut through all of her drowsiness and she now felt fully alert.

'N-no, that's okay,' she blushed. 'I can walk.'

Sasuke picked her up anyway.

'Sasuke-kun!' she gasped, turning her head in all directions. 'They're all looking at us.'

'Let them,' he stated. 'I don't want you falling along the way.'

'I'll be fine,' she insisted. 'Really.'

'Be quiet,' he smirked.

Sakura couldn't help but obey. Sasuke had this certain way of commanding that ensured he always got what he wanted. The stares people were shooting at them were embarrassing though. Sakura tried to shift her attention to the path they were walking on.

'Wait,' she spoke up. 'Why are we taking this route?'

'We're going to my place,' announced Sasuke.

Sakura gaped. _His_ place? They were going to his place? Sasuke had never invited her over before. He had never really come _inside_ hers either. She had assumed he thought it was too soon for that right now. So, the fact that he was taking her to his place, just out of the blue, was certainly surprising. But she didn't want to risk upsetting him by asking why. She didn't want him to feel like she didn't want to go, because she really did. She had always wondered what Sasuke's new apartment looked like.

'How far is it?' she asked instead.

'Not very,' he replied. 'We'll be there soon.'

'Okay,' she grinned.

He looked down at her. 'You hungry?'

'I am,' she sighed.

He cleared his throat. 'I cooked.' And she saw his cheeks flush a little. 'For you.'

'What?' Sakura couldn't help but gasp. 'Sasuke-kun! That… that's… thank you!'

And Sasuke smiled.

.-.-.

He had made her happy. The fact that he had cooked for her had made her happy. He was off to a good start. As they arrived outside the door to his apartment, he finally let her back to her feet. He dug inside his pocket and took out the key. After unlocking it, he pushed the door open, waiting for her to enter first. Sakura smiled at him as she walked in. He followed.

'You have a nice place, Sasuke-kun,' she complimented, looking around.

Suddenly, he felt very, very nervous. 'I'll… I'll re-heat the food,' he mumbled before dashing into the kitchen.

'Wait, Sasuke-kun!' he heard Sakura call after him. 'I'll help.'

And within a matter of seconds, she had run up to him. Her fingers brushed against his as she took the plate of dumplings from his hand and his anxiety shot up further.

'You… you made dumplings!' she beamed.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, trying to mask his awkwardness. 'I know you like them.'

Sakura giggled before pacing up to the microwave. Sasuke exhaled.

Soon enough, everything was ready and they sat face to face at the small table in the kitchen.

'All of it looks so great,' inhaled Sakura.

'Try it,' said Sasuke. 'If it tastes bad, let me know. We'll order some take-out.'

'I'm sure that won't be the case,' she chuckled. 'Alright, let's eat!'

She used her chopsticks to transfer some salad onto her plate and picked up two rice balls too. Sasuke looked on apprehensively.

'Aren't _you_ going to eat?' she laughed.

'You first,' he said briefly.

She took in some salad and then bit gently into a rice ball. Sasuke could hear his heart drumming in his chest. He saw her lips curl up.

'Sasuke-kun!' she exclaimed after swallowing her food. 'It's delicious!'

'Really? You like it?'

'Yes!' assured Sakura. 'I can't wait to try the dumplings.'

Sasuke sighed of relief. Everything was going according to plan.

'Oh yeah,' started Sakura again and he saw her face scrunch up a little.

He wondered if the aftertaste was bad.

'After dinner, I want to see that book you told me about. The one with the flower meanings.'

'Oh,' he blinked. 'Sure.'

A few days after his return, Sasuke had taken Sakura to their old training field and they had spent hours there, talking. He had told her more things in that one day than he had in the previous eight years of knowing her. He had talked to her about Itachi, about his clan's massacre. He had explained each of his decisions to her. He had also talked about his journey, the different things he had seen and done. He had told her about the little girl he had met, the one who had reminded him so much of her, and also about that little boy she liked, the one who was remarkably like him. And finally, he had told her about his meeting with the old lady who had given him that book. She had hugged him for the longest time that day.

'Sasuke-kun,' she called out, snapping him out of his thoughts. 'You're not eating! Here,' she said, putting some food on his plate herself. 'Eat.'

Sasuke smiled at her before picking up his chopsticks and doing as he was told.

Warm smiles and playful teasing could sum up how the rest of the dinner went. Now, Sasuke was rummaging through his drawers to find the book Sakura had asked for earlier. And Sakura was comfortably seated on the couch in his living room, waiting patiently.

'Finally,' mumbled Sasuke as he found the item.

He walked out of his bedroom and into the living room, waving the book around to declare that he had found it. He then plopped down next to Sakura and handed it to her.

'Here,' he said.

Sakura looked at it with wonder before promptly opening it. And then, in less than a second, her head was on his lap and she lay there, easily reading from page to page. Sasuke felt his ears heat up as she stopped to look up at him. She beamed before shifting her eyes back to the book. She had never done this before and Sasuke was beginning to question why. It made him feel so nice, so _at home_. She looked so peaceful and her hair had spread out beautifully over his thighs. He couldn't stop his hand from reaching out and touching the soft, pink strands.

A recent memory popped up in his head. He had been walking to Ichiraku's with Naruto when the blonde had told him something unbelievably absurd, yet amusing.

'_I'm not kidding, teme! Girls really like it when we play with their hair.'_

'_I don't believe you.'_

'_Really! You should try it with Sakura-chan. Hinata always gives me a kiss when I do it, hehe.'_

The heat had now spread throughout Sasuke's body. Sakura had never kissed him. And he had wondered at times if she was waiting for some sort of signal from him. What if this was it? What if the dobe had been right?

Sasuke experimentally ran his fingers through her hair, before looking down nervously. Her eyes were still fixed on the book.

'_Stupid dobe.'_

Sasuke sighed. If he couldn't even get her to kiss him, how would he ever get her to accept his proposal? Suddenly, Sasuke felt sick. Was she even ready to get married? Was this too soon to ask? Reluctantly, he shoved his hand into his pocket, careful not to disturb Sakura. He felt around for the small box he had been carrying for a couple of days now. He swallowed as he wrapped his fingers around it.

'Sakura…,' he began, turning his head to his right.

He figured looking at her would just make him more nervous so he chose to stare at a wall instead.

'I want to… do you…,' he stopped and exhaled. 'Let's get married.'

And then, it was quiet. He closed his eyes, dreading the reaction that would follow. It didn't come. He opened them again and looked down at her.

He tilted his head back and rested it against the couch. He sighed. She… had fallen asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Well, there we go! Hope you liked it and if you did, please leave me a review! :3 The next chapter will be posted within 1 week. Happy New Year! ^^


	2. Flashy

**A/N:** Hey, guys! Whoa! The last chapter received a much better response than I expected. Thank you so much! I'm sorry it took me so long to update but hopefully you'll find this chapter worth the wait.

This chapter begins with Sasuke's POV.  
>.-.-. indicates the end of one POV and the beginning of another.<br>All the other rules from the previous chapter apply as well.

Enjoy! :3

* * *

><p>If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.<p>

'_Well, at least try __**once**__ again,'_ Sasuke mentally urged himself.

A lot of guys might've ended up proposing to a sleeping girl at some point. Right?

'_Wrong,'_ he inwardly argued. _'Probably just me.'_

He sighed.

'_But it's __**Sakura**__.'_

He couldn't give up just yet. Surely he could think of another way to propose, a _better_ way to propose.

'Sasuke-kun?'

Sasuke blinked back to reality as Sakura's voice sounded next to him. He looked at her.

'You okay?' she continued, stopping.

'Yes,' he replied briefly, before taking her hand and continuing towards the hospital again.

He really needed to stop zoning out during their walks.

'U-um, okay,' she began cautiously. 'I just asked because… you were kind of scowling, you know.'

'I'm fine,' he assured. 'What were you saying before?'

'Oh, I was just telling you how Ino-pig and I found this place the other day that sells the most amazing tomatoes!' she beamed. 'And since you like them, I thought…'

The rest of her sentence didn't register as a sudden idea completely filled his head. Why hadn't he thought of this sooner? Sasuke silently swore.

That Yamanaka girl had known Sakura longer than any of them. He should have gotten _her_ advice on how to propose. She probably knew all about what Sakura liked and disliked. Maybe Sakura had even told her how she wanted to be proposed to at some point. Women liked discussing things like that, didn't they?

Sasuke felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to the pink-haired girl on his right.

'We're here,' she said with a smile.

'… Aa,' replied Sasuke, realizing that their destination had already been reached.

He loosened his grasp on her hand and she slowly withdrew it. Leaning forward, he tapped her forehead.

'See you soon.'

And he was off.

He supposed late was better than never. He would get input from the Yamanaka _now_. But she had a man, as far as he knew. It would probably be more considerate to talk to her in his presence, he decided. After all, he didn't want some guy talking to Sakura behind his back either.

And so, he set out to find none other than Sai.

.-.-.

Sakura was worried about Sasuke.

Yesterday had been one of the best days; he had invited her over, he had cooked for her, they had had a wonderful time at dinner. But today, he seemed all gloomy and distracted and it just didn't make sense. Had she done something to upset him?

Sakura frowned as she walked through the corridors of the hospital.

Well, she _had _unintentionally fallen asleep in his lap. Could that be it? If only she hadn't been so exhausted. But then, she had woken up to him carrying her back to her house. He wouldn't have done that if he was mad at her. Right?

'What's bothering you, Sasuke-kun?' she mumbled aloud.

'SAKURA-CHAN!'

Naruto's deafeningly loud voice filled the air and Sakura looked up to find the blonde excitedly running up to her.

'Naruto,' she smiled as he stopped before her. 'What are you doing here?'

He looked at her and then started giggling uncontrollably.

'What?' she questioned.

'CONGRATULATIONS, SAKURA-CHAN!' he yelled, enveloping her in a bone-crushing hug.

'What?' Sakura managed to breathe out. 'For what?'

He pulled back and started giggling again. 'Don't play dumb, Sakura-chan!' he said. 'I know everything!'

Now, Sakura was really confused.

'Know what? What are you talking about?' she blinked.

'Sakura-chan, stop it,' he said, a little more seriously this time. 'I knew about it even before you did.'

What in the world?

'I have no idea what you're talking about!' she exclaimed.

Naruto glared at her before grabbing her left hand and holding it up. And then, his expression changed completely.

'He didn't do it, did he?' he gasped.

'Who didn't do what?' she groaned.

Naruto looked like he had just figured out the meaning of life itself before he let out a quiet 'Oops.'

'What is going on, Naruto?' Sakura demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

Naruto gulped before reluctantly opening his mouth.

'Um... You see, Sakura-chan... I... that... pr... pr-pregnant! You mean to say that you're NOT pregnant?' he gasped.

'WHAT?' Sakura practically screamed. 'Of course I'm not pregnant! Who gave you that idea?!'

Naruto shook his head. 'Tsk tsk, Sakura-chan. You should really cut down on some of that belly fat then.'

Her eye twitched.

BAM.

Naruto quietly bade farewell, his left hand rubbing the large bump he had on his head now.

.-.-.

'Oh, it's you,' Sai greeted calmly as Sasuke approached him.

Sasuke had searched all the popular stops in Konoha; the Tea Avenue, the Dangoya, Ramen Ichiraku, the hot springs, the library, even the Hokage Monument, before he finally decided to check the 'Third Training Ground' and found Sai sitting near the Memorial Stone, a brush in his hand and some sheets on his lap.

'I didn't expect to find you here,' Sasuke told him.

'I'm making a sketch of the memorial stone,' replied Sai.

Sasuke regarded him for a minute, then spoke up.

'I need to talk to your girlfriend,' he said impassively.

'Okay?' chuckled Sai unsurely. 'She'll be at the flower shop right now.'

'Take me to her.'

'I already told you where to go.'

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. 'What kind of a man are you?'

Sai looked up at him, amused. 'The kind who _knows_ that your heart already belongs to someone else.'

Sasuke scrunched up his face, trying to mask his embarrassment.

'Not everyone is as overly possessive as you, Sasuke-kun,' continued Sai.

'I'll still talk to her in your presence,' muttered Sasuke. 'Come.'

Sai stood up, sighing. 'Alright, if you insist.'

'Hn.'

'This way,' Sai waved lazily as he began walking.

And Sasuke followed.

The few minutes it took the two to reach Yamanaka Hana were spent in silence, a certain degree of tension evident between them. Sasuke knew most of it came from his own lack of willingness to associate with his 'replacement'. But he didn't really plan on doing anything about it.

Upon reaching, Sai went in first.

'Hey, you're here early today,' Sasuke heard a feminine voice say cheerfully.

'Yeah,' came Sai's reply. 'Sweetheart, I have someone with me. He wants to speak with you about something.'

'Oh, really?' questioned Ino. 'Who?'

Sasuke supposed that was his cue. He entered.

Ino gaped. 'S-Sasuke-kun?'

Sasuke nodded in acknowledgment.

'What… how can I help you?' she said.

Sasuke thought about how to begin. He exhaled. 'You've known Sakura for quite some time.'

Ino nodded, urging him to go on.

'In fact,' continued Sasuke, turning to Sai. 'So have you.'

'I guess,' replied Sai. 'But not nearly as long as Ino has.'

'Point is,' began Sasuke again. '… I need some advice.'

'On what?' Ino gasped.

'I'm…,' he hesitated as a light blush snuck up on his cheeks.

'What?' Sai blinked.

'… Proposing,' finished Sasuke.

'WHAT?!' Ino screamed. 'Took you long enough!'

Sai chuckled. 'Finally.'

Sasuke clenched his jaw. 'Has she ever mentioned how she wants to be proposed to?'

Ino tapped her chin. 'Um no, not really. But come on, everybody knows what a proposal should be like.'

Sasuke raised an eye-brow.

'Big!' Ino beamed. 'And fancy!'

Sasuke looked at her skeptically. 'That's not what the dobe's wife said.'

'Hinata? And what _did _she say?' questioned Ino.

'She told me to invite Sakura over for an informal dinner,' he replied. 'And she told me to cook it myself too.'

'And did you try that?' Ino folded her arms.

'… Yes.'

'How did it go?'

'She… fell asleep,' Sasuke mumbled.

'Well, of course she did!' exclaimed Ino. 'Anyone would after something boring like that.'

'… Really?' Sasuke blinked.

Had he really bored Sakura to the point of sleeping? He had assumed she had fallen asleep because she was tired, but if this was what her best friend had to say, maybe it really had been a bad idea. Sasuke lowered his eyes.

'You have to make it exciting!' pressed Ino. 'Do something _unique_ and _extravagant_!'

Sasuke sighed. 'Like?'

'Do I have to tell you everything?!' Ino glared at him.

Sai cleared his throat. 'Well,' he began. 'There's supposed to be a Kabuki performance at the theatre tonight. Why don't you take Sakura there?'

'Oh, that's right!' Ino gasped. 'She mentioned something about wanting to go to that!'

Sasuke looked at them confusedly. 'Even if she did, you're telling me to _propose_ at a Kabuki performance?'

'Think about it,' replied Sai. 'What could be more unique and fancy than a Kabuki performance?'

Sasuke just stared.

'I think it's a good idea,' Ino grinned. 'Not to mention, most people dress formally for these performances. And every girl wants to look beautiful when someone proposes to them. Sakura will be happy, I'm sure of it!'

Sasuke still couldn't believe it. 'You two actually expect me to propose during a Kabuki performance?' he glared at them.

'Well, not _during_ the performance, duh!' answered Ino. 'Just take her to watch it and then _after _the performance, when you're walking her back home, pop the big question! This way it'll be exciting and intimate at the same time!'

Now this made more sense, Sasuke supposed. Maybe it was worth a shot. The Yamanaka did say Sakura wanted to go to the performance, so Sasuke would take her there, in any case, and then, she'd be happy. So, if an opportunity did arise on their way back, he certainly could try proposing again. Yes. Okay. He would give it a try.

He opened his mouth to announce that but the voice that came after wasn't his.

'TEME!'

Naruto. Sasuke sighed and turned to find Naruto glaring at him from the entrance.

'What?' he scowled back.

'YOU DIDN'T PROPOSE?!' Naruto yelled.

'No,' Sasuke muttered as Naruto walked up to him.

'WELL, YOU COULD'VE TOLD ME THAT BEFORE I CONGRATULATED SAKURA-CHAN!'

'You did _what_?' Sasuke grabbed him by the collar.

Naruto sheepishly scratched his head.

'Are you out of your mind?!' Sasuke roared.

'Relax, teme! She doesn't suspect a thing!' assured Naruto. 'I covered it up great!'

'Really?' Sasuke responded through gritted teeth. 'How? Please enlighten me.'

Naruto snickered. 'I told her I thought she was pregnant.'

Sasuke felt his eye twitch.

THUD.

Naruto now had a swollen cheek.

'Anyway,' began Sai. 'Why don't we go to the Kabuki performance too, darling?'

'Oh my God!' squealed Ino. 'Yes!'

Sasuke glowered at them. 'No.'

'What?! What Kabuki performance?' Naruto gasped.

'There's going to be one at the theatre tonight,' informed Sai. 'Sasuke-kun might propose to Sakura after it.'

'Really?! I wanna go too then!' Naruto asserted. 'Let me tell Hinata.'

'No! None of you are coming,' griped Sasuke.

'It's open to all, Sasuke-kun,' Sai smirked.

Sasuke drew a palm to his face. There was no way it would go right if all these idiots showed up.

'Don't worry, Sasuke-kun,' spoke up Ino. 'We won't sit with you guys. You won't even know we're there,' she assured.

'Yeah, that's right, teme!' Naruto nodded. 'We'll support you, if anything.'

Sasuke sighed. The things he was willing to put up with for Sakura.

.-.-.

'Sakura-chan! Is it true that Uchiha Sasuke _carried_ you home yesterday?'

As soon as Sakura had entered the cafeteria during her lunch break, she had been pulled into a cluster of her female colleagues and without wasting a minute, they had started bombarding her with all sorts of questions regarding Sasuke.

'A-ah, Hikari-chan, w-where did you hear that?' Sakura blushed.

'The whole village is talking about it!' Hikari tittered in response.

'Really?' Sakura gasped.

'So, have you two moved in together or something?' another girl spoke up.

'No! Definitely not, Kasumi-chan,' Sakura shook her head vigorously.

'Hehe, look at you, Sakura-chan! You're blushing!' a third one said.

'N-no, Haruhi-san! I just feel hot, that's all,' Sakura awkwardly replied.

And then, there were some collective gasps and everybody rushed away from Sakura at once. She blinked, trying to comprehend what had caused the sudden shift.

She spun around as she felt a light tap on her shoulder. A breath escaped her lips.

'Sasuke-kun, you scared me,' she chuckled.

'Seems like I scared everyone else too,' he smirked.

Sakura laughed. 'I didn't know you were coming here for lunch today,' she began, putting some food on her tray.

'Hmm, last minute plan,' he explained. 'I have to talk to you about something.'

'Yeah,' she said. 'Me too.'

Sasuke raised an eye-brow. Sakura tried to put up a smile. He narrowed his eyes, then extended his hand to sweep some stray strands of hair out of her face and behind her left ear.

'Let's take a seat,' he spoke up.

'Okay,' she replied. 'Oh, wait. Don't you want to get something to eat first?'

Sasuke shook his head. 'Come on.'

Sakura followed him as he walked up to a table. He pulled back a chair, motioning her to sit. She beamed as she sat down. One of the things she had come to cherish the most about Sasuke since his return was how he never failed to be chivalrous. Sasuke took a seat opposite to her.

'You go first,' he said. 'Tell me what's on your mind.'

Sakura dug her fork into her salad, moving it around as she tried to think of the right words.

'Sasuke-kun,' she started. 'Are you mad at me?'

Sasuke gave her the most incredulous look she had ever seen on his face. She lowered her eyes back to her food.

'I just… I'm sorry I fell asleep like that last night and I really did have a great time but I was just so tired and I really didn't even realize it and it just happened and-'

'Sakura,' interrupted Sasuke.

She looked up at him. He extended his hand across the table and grabbed her fork. He pushed it into a cherry tomato and then shoved it into his mouth. He smiled at her as he chewed.

'It's fine,' he said finally, after swallowing. 'I'm not mad at you.'

'You're not?' Sakura asked for reconfirmation.

Sasuke shook his head. 'In fact, I'm sorry I acted weird this morning. I had something on my mind, but it's taken care of now.'

'Oh,' replied Sakura.

She wanted to ask him _what_ had been on his mind but she figured he would tell her himself when he was ready.

'So,' he began again. 'My turn. You want to go to that Kabuki performance tonight?'

'Yes!' beamed Sakura. 'I even told Ino I wanted to go when we saw the poster earlier.'

'Great,' he said, picking out another tomato. 'But it starts a little late. You sure you won't be too tired?'

'I'm absolutely sure!' she replied. 'I don't have a lot of work today so, I might even get off early and if I do, I'll either take a nap or drink coffee but I will absolutely not be too tired. I'll be as fresh as a daisy! And there will be no, definitely no falling asleep.'

Sasuke almost chuckled.

'Oh and I heard people dress formally for these things so, you'll have to get ready and… stuff, right?' he said.

'Yes,' she smiled. 'And so will you, Sasuke-kun,' she added teasingly. 'Hope you have a nice kimono.'

Sasuke sighed. 'I know, I know. And no, I don't have one. I'll get one before tonight though.'

'Okay, so how about today I go back home myself and then, you can just pick me up before the performance?' she suggested.

'Will you be okay on your own?' he asked.

Sakura gasped melodramatically. 'Sasuke-kun! Are you underestimating my abilities as a kunoichi?'

'I wouldn't dare,' he smirked.

Sakura laughed. Sasuke sighed, then stood up.

'Alright, then. I'll pick you up at seven,' he smiled. 'Be careful on your way back.'

Sakura nodded.

She felt his fingers lightly brush through the ends of her hair as he walked past her, towards the exit.

.-.-.

Sasuke swallowed as he stood outside Sakura's house. He straightened his midnight blue kimono before walking up to her door. He inhaled, then knocked.

The door almost immediately opened and a frantic Sakura appeared.

'Come in, Sasuke-kun,' she breathed. 'I'm almost ready, I just need to do my hair. It keeps opening up, I only need…'

Sasuke knew he was staring. She looked… perfect. In every way. Her kimono, her face, her hair, even if she claimed it wasn't done yet, everything about her looked perfect.

'Sasuke-kun?' she questioned softly.

'You look beautiful,' he said.

'Th-thank you,' she replied, her face flushed. 'You look really handsome too.'

Sasuke awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

'C-come on in,' she said again, stepping aside. 'I only need five more minutes.'

Sasuke nodded and walked in. He looked around. This was the first time he had come inside Sakura's house. Three things immediately caught his attention. Firstly, there were _a lot_ of pictures on the walls. Secondly, there were very large books scattered on the floor. And thirdly, the whole place smelled amazing. It smelled… like her. He wanted his house to smell like her too. He turned his head to look at her. She was standing in front of a mirror by the stairs. Her hands were constantly trying to roll up and fasten her hair with a fancy comb.

He walked up to her. Without a word, he gently took her hair from her hands and twisted it into a tidy bun. He held out his hand. She understood and gave him the comb. He slowly pushed it in, then looked at her in the mirror. She was blushing.

'Where… where did you learn to do that?' she asked, turning around to face him.

He lifted a hand to set the strands falling around her face.

'… Kaa-san used to tie her hair like that sometimes,' he said quietly.

He felt Sakura's hand curl around his. She stroked his fingers soothingly with her thumb. She always did that whenever something regarding his past was brought up. And he was thankful for it. It helped him keep his focus on the present. And the future.

'Should we leave?' Sakura spoke up after a minute.

Sasuke nodded and they walked out, Sakura closing and locking the door behind them.

The Konoha Theatre was not too far from Sakura's house. It took them about twenty minutes to get there. Their walk had been quieter than usual but somehow, more… romantic. Sakura had leaned against his shoulder and he had played with her fingers.

Sasuke groaned as four familiar faces came into sight near the entrance.

'SAKURA-CHAN! TEME!' Naruto waved at them.

'These guys?' Sakura blinked, surprised.

She pulled Sasuke towards them.

'Sakura-chan, Sasuke-san,' Hinata greeted as they reached.

'It's been a while,' smiled Sai.

'Forehead,' addressed Ino. 'You look nice,' she winked.

Sakura beamed excitedly. 'I didn't know all of you would be here too,' she said. 'Isn't this nice, Sasuke-kun?'

'Yes, very nice,' muttered Sasuke.

'Let's go inside,' Sai suggested. 'It's going to start soon.'

The six of them walked in, the more talkative ones commenting on how 'big and cool' the newly built theatre was.

Sasuke nudged Sakura. 'We can sit over there,' he said, gesturing towards a few empty seats.

'Okay, then we'll sit… um… over there,' announced Ino, pointing at some seats a few rows behind the ones Sasuke had chosen.

'Oh, you guys aren't going to sit with us?' questioned Sakura.

Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes.

'Nah, we think you two should have some alone time today,' replied Ino with an obvious undertone.

Sakura looked at her perplexedly. 'Why… are you… saying it like that?'

'Oh, no reason,' Ino winked.

Sasuke glared at her.

'B-but if you want, Sakura-chan,' interjected Naruto. 'We'd love to sit with you two! Right, guys?'

Sasuke resisted the urge to punch him again.

'Naruto-kun doesn't know what he's saying,' chuckled Hinata nervously, grabbing Naruto's arm. 'Come on, Naruto-kun.'

And with that, she dragged him away. Sai followed.

'See you later,' waved Ino, before also running up to the rest.

'Well, that was weird,' mumbled Sakura.

'Ignore them,' Sasuke replied, lugging her towards the seats.

A man walking around with a large vendor tray caught his attention.

'Sakura, do you want something to eat?' he asked.

Sakura looked at the man as well before turning back to him. 'Sure,' she replied.

'What should I get for you?' he questioned.

'Whatever you get for yourself,' she smiled.

Sasuke smiled back. 'Go take a seat. I'll be right there.'

Sakura nodded and complied and Sasuke walked up to the man. He silently studied the contents of the tray.

'Two chicken skewers,' he finally said.

'Yes, sir,' replied the man, taking said items out for him. 'Sauce?'

'Aa.'

The man took out a bottle and squeezed some sauce onto the skewers.

'That'll be a hundred ryo, please,' he informed and Sasuke took out the required amount and handed it to him. 'Thank you,' smiled the man, giving him the skewers. 'Have a nice time.'

Sasuke nodded and started making his way back to Sakura. She grinned up at him as he got closer. He sat down next to her and handed her a skewer.

'Thank you, Sasuke-kun,' she beamed. 'Looks delicious.'

They both took a bite and Sasuke could hear the idiots sniggering behind them. The lights of the theatre dimmed, indicating that the performance would begin soon.

'This sauce…,' began Sakura. 'It tastes a little like…'

Her eyes widened.

'What?' Sasuke demanded. 'Sakura, what's wrong?'

She started coughing violently and Sasuke could see that her face was swelling up.

'Pea… peanuts,' she barely managed to exhale.

'Peanuts?' Sasuke blinked.

'PEANUTS?!' Ino screamed from behind. 'SAKURA IS ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS!'

'What?!' Sasuke yelled back. 'Sakura!'

He saw her gasp for air, her skin getting paler by the second. His heart thumped against his chest, panic taking over him. No. He couldn't. He could _not _freak out. Sakura needed him.

He scooped her up into his arms and bolted out of the place.

'SASUKE, WE'LL BE RIGHT THERE!' he heard Naruto yell after him.

Sasuke rocketed towards the hospital, faster than his legs and chakra allowed.

'Stay with me, Sakura,' he pleaded.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yes, all the salad references in this story are intentional. :P  
>For those who don't know, a Kabuki performance is a form of traditional Japanese theatre, you can google it to find out more but let's just say it's sort of flashy but very enthralling.<br>All I can tell you about the next chapter is that... well, let's just say it's Kakashi's turn to 'help' Sasuke. :3  
>Hope you liked this one though! Leave a review and thank you!<p> 


	3. Suggestive

**A/N: **I wanted to address a few comments I received after the last chapter, so I'll do that first.  
>Yes, Naruto does have a healing ability but I suppose that's more towards the healing injuriesregenerative side. An anaphylactic attack requires an immediate adrenaline injection, plus anti-histamines, maybe a beta-agonist and the sort so, I figured going to the hospital would make more sense. Or maybe I just take these details too seriously because I'm a med-student. xD  
>Secondly, I didn't intend for this story to be a pure comedyparody nor do I see it as one. I actually can imagine Sasuke being really clueless about proposing and over-thinking and everything and feeling like other people could probably give him a better idea. I only added humor so that him failing repeatedly wouldn't be too depressing.  
>And the reason he keeps failing is because there is a very important lesson that he must learn. :P But don't worry, I'll put him out of his misery soon.<p>

Anyway, on to this chapter!  
><strong>Important<strong> things to remember:  
>1) This chapter starts with Sasuke's POV again.<br>2) Italics are now used for dreams, in addition to thoughts and flashbacks.  
>3) All other rules from the previous chapters apply.<p>

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Sasuke wrinkled his brows as he sensed the presence of light on his face. Slowly, he opened his eyes, identifying the source of his disturbance; a gap in the curtains.<p>

He lurched forward as the actuality of the situation hit him. It was morning. He had fallen _asleep_. He looked up at the bed in front of him. She was there. She was breathing. She was… okay. He sighed of relief.

He turned to his left. Naruto was still sitting next to him, also asleep.

'Good morning.'

The sudden sound caught him off guard and his head jerked towards the source. There, in the doorway, stood Kakashi. Sasuke nodded at him.

With a lazy wave of his hand, Kakashi signaled him to come out. Sasuke stood up and complied.

Once they were out, Kakashi spoke up. 'How is she?'

'Fine,' replied Sasuke. 'They wanted to keep her under observation for the night.'

'Naruto stayed back too?'

'He went home to drop off his wife but came back after a while.'

He saw Kakashi observe him for a few seconds, before speaking up again. 'Well, I'm here now. You can go home and rest for a while.'

'No,' stated Sasuke firmly. 'Not until she wakes up.'

'Sasuke,' began Kakashi. 'Look at your-'

'It was my fault,' Sasuke interjected. 'I got it for her. She ate it because I gave it to her.'

Kakashi sighed. 'Did you know the sauce was made out of peanuts?'

'No,' replied Sasuke.

'Did you know she was allergic to peanuts?'

'… No. But I should have.'

'Sasuke, it's not your fault,' assured Kakashi.

Sasuke leant back against the wall, folding his arms over his chest.

Kakashi chuckled. 'This reminds me of the good old days,' he said. 'I see the twelve year old Sasuke standing before me.'

'Shut up,' Sasuke mumbled.

'There's something else that's bothering you as well, isn't there?' Kakashi smiled knowingly.

Sasuke looked up at him, before lowering his gaze again. 'I was going to… pro…,' he trailed off.

'What was that? You were going to poke?'

Sasuke shot a death stare at him. 'How can you still be on about that?' he said through gritted teeth.

'It's funny,' Kakashi shrugged.

'Propose. I was going to propose,' Sasuke sighed.

'Ah,' drawled Kakashi. 'You want to propose.'

'I failed,' Sasuke muttered, disgusted with himself. 'Twice.'

'Oh, Sasuke,' began Kakashi, sighing. 'You should've come to me sooner. _Of course_ I'll help you.'

Sasuke snorted. 'No, thanks. I've had enough _help_. Besides, what would a single, old pervert like you know anyway?'

'You wound me,' said Kakashi impassively.

'I know,' responded Sasuke, just as dispassionately.

'I'll just have to prove it to you then,' Kakashi stated.

'What?'

'I'll give you your third chance to propose today,' declared Kakashi.

'No, stay out it,' Sasuke warned.

'Don't worry, Sasuke,' he said, patting him on the shoulder. 'Just leave it all to me.'

'Kakashi,' Sasuke glared at him. 'Stay out of it,' he said again. 'I can't take any more risks.'

'Sasuke-kun?'

.-.-.

Sakura woke up to find a plain, white ceiling staring back at her. The familiar smell of the hospital room was evidence enough that she really was where she thought she was, that she really had suffered from an anaphylactic attack last night. It really hadn't all been a dream.

She groaned as she sat up. She looked around and found Naruto sleeping on one of the chairs by the wall. The one Sasuke had been in last night was empty. Had he left?

Sakura frowned guiltily. She had ruined their time together again.

'I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun,' she mumbled.

Just then, she heard his voice.

'Single, old pervert' as far as she could make out.

'Kakashi-sensei's here too?' she thought aloud.

She hopped out of bed.

'Sakura-chan?'

She turned to find Naruto rubbing his eyes sleepily.

'Oh, I'm so sorry, Naruto,' she apologized. 'Did I wake you?'

'No, no, Sakura-chan,' he slurred in response. 'How're you feeling now? Hey, what are you doing out of bed?'

'Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine,' she assured. 'I was just gonna go meet Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei.'

'Oh, Kakashi-sensei's back?' questioned Naruto, also getting to his feet.

Sakura nodded. 'I think they're over there,' she said, tilting her head to look outside the half open door.

She could see Sasuke's back and some of Kakashi's hair.

'Sasuke-kun?' she called out.

Sasuke turned around to look at her. 'Sakura? You're awake.'

'Hello, Sakura,' greeted Kakashi, shifting his position so she could see him.

'What're you guys doing out there?' she said.

Sasuke pushed open the door and walked back in. Kakashi followed.

'Didn't want to wake you,' explained Sasuke.

'I was just telling Sasuke about the fireworks we're going to have tonight,' added Kakashi.

'What fireworks?' said his three students in unison.

'The one's we're having tonight,' he sighed. 'Seriously, I _just_ told all of you.'

'No! What're the fireworks for, sensei?!' screeched Naruto.

'What? Can't a Hokage want some random fireworks once in a while?' replied Kakashi.

Sakura stared at him. So did the other two.

Kakashi sighed. 'No one appreciates me.'

'Um well, I guess fireworks would be nice,' Sakura smiled encouragingly. 'I'd like to see them.'

'Right, Sakura?' chuckled Kakashi. 'Sasuke, you'll take Sakura out to see the fireworks, won't you?'

Sakura looked at Sasuke nervously. He was glaring at Kakashi. She lowered her gaze to her feet.

She opened her mouth. 'We don't ha-'

'We'll go,' interrupted Sasuke.

She looked back up. He was smiling at her.

'Great,' cheered Kakashi. 'Oh, I almost forgot. Wait, I'll be right back,' he said, before turning towards the door.

As he walked out, Ino walked in with a bouquet, Sai right behind her.

'You guys,' Sakura grinned.

'Hey,' she sang, handing her the flowers. 'You look much better.'

'Thank you,' said Sakura gratefully. 'I am.'

'I didn't expect to see you out of bed already, Sakura,' commented Sai. 'You should rest a little more.'

'I'm fine,' Sakura sighed.

'Ah, here we are.'

Sakura turned to see Kakashi enter again. The rest did too.

'Sasuke,' he started, handing him a piece of paper. 'Take Sakura here after the fireworks.'

'What?' Sakura blinked.

Naruto gasped. 'Where are you sending them?! How come I don't get to go?!'

'Probably because you're my least favorite,' Kakashi teased.

'That's a lie!' Naruto whined. 'Teme, let me see!' he demanded, snatching the paper from Sasuke.

'But really, Kakashi-sensei,' began Sakura. 'Where are you sending us?'

Sasuke also stared at him inquiringly.

'Just follow the directions,' replied Kakashi.

'And do what?' spoke up Sasuke.

'Oh, you'll figure it out once you get there,' said Kakashi, as indifferently as ever. He then sighed. 'Well, I'm off now. See you later.'

And with that, he disappeared, leaving behind only a puff of smoke.

'Sasuke-kun,' addressed Ino. 'You haven't left the hospital at all. You should go home and sleep now.'

Sakura examined Sasuke carefully. He looked exhausted. Had he really stayed by her side the whole time?

'I'm fine,' replied Sasuke. 'I did sleep for a while.'

'Besides,' started Ino again. 'I'm borrowing Sakura for the day. I'll drop her off at your place after we're done, okay?'

Sasuke looked just about ready to protest when Sakura interjected.

'Sasuke-kun,' she said. 'Please rest a little.'

Sasuke averted his gaze. 'Hn,' he grunted in defeat. 'Drop her off before sunset.'

Sakura smiled at him.

'This belongs to me,' he muttered, pulling the paper out of Naruto's hands. He then started towards the door. 'Sakura,' he said. 'Come out for a minute.'

.-.-.

Sasuke walked out of the hospital room, angling his head slightly to see if Sakura was following him. She was. As they entered the corridor, he turned to face her. She was looking up at him curiously.

To think he could've lost her last night. Anaphylaxis, the doctor had told him, was no joke. People had died of attacks like the one he had exposed Sakura to.

Without another thought, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his chest. He felt her body tense up, then relax, like it always did in his arms. He rested his chin on her head.

He opened his mouth but before he could say anything, the sound of Naruto's muffled laughter filled the air.

'We can see you, you know,' crooned Ino.

Sasuke glared at them.

After barely brushing his lips against her hair, he pulled back. 'Take care of yourself,' he said.

'You too, Sasuke-kun,' she smiled. 'Make sure you eat after you get home. I'll see you tonight.'

Sasuke nodded, then turned to leave.

On his way home, he could only think about all the possible ways in which even something as simple as watching a firework display could go wrong.

Someone could misfire an explosive, which, in turn, could injure Sakura. The light that would be produced could be too bright and affect her vision. Heck, she could even faint from the sudden sound or excitement. It was risky. Too risky. He would have to be on guard the whole time.

'_Maybe I can talk her out of it,'_ he mused.

And the address that Kakashi had given him. What exactly was that all about?

'_I don't have a good feeling about this.'_

Sakura's smile flashed before his eyes.

'_I'd like to see them,' she said._

'Sakura,' he groaned aloud.

When he reached his apartment, he went to the kitchen and ate an apple per Sakura's request, before dropping down on his bed and falling asleep almost immediately after.

'_I'm home,' Sasuke called out, walking in through the door of his house, Sakura right behind him._

'_Welcome back,' a feminine voice replied and Uchiha Mikoto, his mother, appeared, her hands tying her hair into a neat bun. 'Ah, Sakura is also with you!' she beamed._

'_H-Hello,' Sakura bowed._

'_How are you?' questioned Mikoto as they neared her._

'_I'm fine,' Sakura responded while Sasuke just silently observed the exchange. 'How are you?'_

'_Oh, I'm great,' Mikoto smiled._

'_Ah, I thought I heard Sakura's voice,' said Uchiha Itachi as he walked out of one of the rooms._

'_Nii-san,' Sasuke and Sakura said in unison._

'_I'm glad you decided to come today,' Itachi smiled, turning to Sakura._

'_I'm here too,' muttered Sasuke._

'_Will you stay for dinner, Sakura?' Mikoto cheerfully asked._

'_Um, n-no, thank you, I should be going home,' Sakura answered nervously. 'I just dropped in to say hi.'_

'_Sakura,' spoke up Itachi in protest. 'You should stay for dinner. Right, Sasuke?'_

_Sasuke looked at Sakura and nodded._

'_W-Well,' began Sakura._

'_She'll stay,' interjected another voice._

'_Tou-san?' exhaled Sasuke as Uchiha Fugaku also entered._

'_Oh, h-hello,' Sakura bowed again._

_Fugaku nodded. 'Stay for dinner, Sakura,' he said._

'_Um y-yes,' replied Sakura. 'I'll stay.'_

'_Wonderful,' grinned Mikoto. 'I'll set the table.'_

'_I'll help,' said Sakura immediately and the two females started towards the kitchen._

_The scene switched to one of the Uchiha family and Sakura sitting at the table. They ate in silence before Itachi decided to speak up._

'_So, when are you two getting married?' he said._

_Sakura nearly choked on her food as a wild blush spread across her face._

'_Nii-san,' grumbled Sasuke, narrowing his eyes. 'You should get married first.'_

'_Okay then,' Itachi shrugged. 'I'll just marry Sakura myself.'_

'_No!' Sasuke scowled. 'Don't make jokes like that.'_

_Fugaku and Mikoto chuckled._

'_I, too, want to see some grandchildren running around now,' Mikoto added dreamily._

_Sakura gasped._

'_Kaa-san!' Sasuke protested._

_Mikoto laughed again._

'_You should consider it, Sasuke,' said Fugaku, more seriously. 'You will have to get married sooner or later.'_

_Sasuke swallowed._

'_Relax, everyone,' began Itachi with a sigh. 'No one is as eager for this marriage as Sasuke himself. We'll be hearing the announcement soon, I'm sure.'_

_Sasuke blushed but stayed quiet._

'_Sakura, are you ready for his proposal?' Itachi continued._

_But before she could answer, there was a sudden knock on the door._

Sasuke stirred in his sleep. The knocking continued. His eyes flew open. He glanced at the clock and then rushed to open the door. The lock clicked and he pulled back the handle and there, before him, stood Sakura.

.-.-.

The door opened to reveal a slightly muddled Sasuke, his hair disheveled and eyes barely open.

'Sasuke-kun,' Sakura giggled. 'Did you just wake up?'

'Aa,' replied Sasuke.

Sakura extended her hands to brush some tangles out of his dark hair.

Sasuke rubbed his eyes. 'You can come in, I just need a minute.'

Sakura followed him inside and sat on the couch in his living room while he retreated to his room. And as promised, he was back in just about a minute.

'Ready to go?' he said as he approached her.

Sakura nodded and quickly stood up. As he led her out of the apartment, a low, rumbling sound caught her attention.

She stopped. Sasuke looked back.

'Was that your stomach?' she questioned.

'No,' Sasuke mumbled.

The sound came again.

'Yes, it was!' she gasped. 'Sasuke-kun, you didn't eat, did you?'

'I did,' he insisted.

'What?' she demanded sternly.

'An apple,' he replied.

'Sasuke-kun, that's not enough!' she groaned, grabbing his hand and dragging him with her. 'Come on, we're getting some ramen first.'

'The fireworks,' he objected.

'We still have some time before they start,' she said. 'You're not going anywhere before you eat.'

Sasuke sighed.

As they walked to Ramen Ichiraku, all Sasuke did was grumble about how they were sure to run into the 'dobe' there. But as luck would have it, he had been wrong.

Presently, they were the only ones there, which had also led to their food arriving almost instantly after they had ordered.

'Eat up, Sasuke-kun!' Sakura grinned. 'And you better finish all of it.'

Sasuke grunted in response, before obeying.

By the time Sakura was half-way through her meal, Sasuke had already finished.

'How did you get done so fast?' she mumbled with some noodles in her mouth.

Sasuke rested his chin on his hands, staring at her playfully.

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion filled the air.

Sakura gulped down some ramen. 'It's starting!' she gasped.

'No, no,' Sasuke smirked. '_You're not going anywhere before you eat_.'

Sakura gaped, before slurping down her ramen all at once.

'Don't do that!' Sasuke panicked. 'You'll choke.'

Sakura wiped her mouth with her forearm and jumped out of her seat. 'Come on, let's go!'

Another explosion sounded.

Sasuke stood up and barely managed to leave some cash on the table, before Sakura pulled him out of the restaurant.

'Look!' she grinned, pointing to a streak of light in the sky. It ascended and exploded into tiny fragments, illuminating the night brilliantly.

Another beam shot up and before she knew it, Sasuke had bundled her up in his arms and was jumping from roof to roof.

_Boom. _

'Sasuke-kun!' she exhaled. 'Where are we going?'

'To get a better view,' he panted.

Another jump and they stood directly before the Hokage Mountain.

'Hold on tight,' he commanded.

She clung on to the fabric of his shirt and he zoomed. She shut her eyes reflexively, only opening them again when she could no longer feel herself moving. Sasuke gently let her back to her feet, his arm protectively encircling her. She looked down. They had landed atop Kakashi's hair. She chuckled.

Another sparkler ascended and disintegrated into a bright red arrangement.

'Whoa,' Sakura gasped. 'Amazing!'

She turned to her right to see Sasuke smiling contentedly.

She leaned against him, inhaling the cool night air. They watched the rest of the display in silence, needing nothing more than each other's presence for those few minutes.

'Sakura,' Sasuke finally said as the fireworks seemed to come to a stop.

'Yes, Sasuke-kun?' she looked up at him.

'I… I need a list of all your allergies and other medical conditions, if there are any.'

She burst out laughing.

'I'm serious,' he glared.

'Oh, Sasuke-kun,' she sighed, still chuckling.

'Tell me,' he insisted.

'Just peanuts,' she assured. 'Don't worry so much, Sasuke-kun.'

'I don't want what happened last night to ever happen again,' he said firmly.

She ran her thumb comfortingly over his fingers. She had learned that this simple act could calm him down in most situations. He sighed.

'Should we follow the address Kakashi-sensei gave us now?' she asked.

Sasuke nodded and then swiftly picked her up and landed on the ground.

.-.-.

Sasuke had decided to give Kakashi a chance. His idea about the fireworks had worked out pretty well, so Sasuke had concluded that he _would_ go and see what the old man had planned next.

But now, as they stood in front of their destination, Sasuke was beginning to have second thoughts.

'It's just an old house,' Sakura said. 'Why did Kakashi-sensei tell us to come here?'

'Stay close,' replied Sasuke, before walking up to the door.

Sakura followed. Sasuke knocked. There was no response. He knocked again. But to no avail.

'I don't hear anything,' spoke up Sakura. 'Should we just go in?'

Sasuke supposed there wasn't really anything else they could do. He turned the handle of the door. It wasn't locked. As the door opened, a small paper fell down. Sasuke picked it up and opened it.

He scrunched up his face.

'What does it say?' questioned Sakura.

'Follow the petals,' replied Sasuke.

'Huh?' Sakura blinked.

Sasuke looked up and saw a trail of red rose petals lead away from the door. He pointed at it.

'What a waste of flowers,' he muttered, stepping into the house.

Sakura entered too. They followed the path that had been laid out for them.

'Sasuke-kun,' she addressed as they walked.

'Hm?' he said, still looking around.

'Do you think Kakashi-sensei has finally lost it?'

'I don't doubt it,' he affirmed.

The trail finally led them to another door.

Sakura gulped. 'What do you think is inside?'

Sasuke shrugged. 'Let's find out.'

He twisted the knob and pushed the door open. And then, for a minute, there was complete silence.

Right there and then, he killed Kakashi thrice in his head.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura's hand rise up to her forehead. And the crimson shade of her cheeks did not go unnoticed.

'Kakashi-sensei's really done it this time,' she mumbled.

And then, as if in reaction to Kakashi's name, another paper fell from the corner of the door and Sasuke caught it. He opened it.

'_And since you said you couldn't 'take any more risks', I left a little present for you in the bathroom drawer,'_ it read.

Sasuke crushed the paper in his fist.

Inside the room, the trail of petals had continued, before ending in a circle around the sole article present; a large, white… bed.

Sasuke gritted his teeth.

'Sasuke-kun,' Sakura began nervously. 'Are you okay?'

Sasuke could _not _face Sakura right now.

'I'm sorry,' he muttered, before storming out of the house.

That pervert was going to pay. _Right now_.

Two familiar faces outside the main door caught him by surprise.

'T-Teme!' Naruto gulped. 'We didn't come here to spy on you or anything, we were just passing by, honestly! Right, Sai?'

'Right,' Sai chuckled nervously.

Sasuke neither had the time nor the patience to deal with the two right now.

'Take Sakura home,' was all he said before bolting off towards the Hokage Residence.

Konoha would need a new Hokage tomorrow.

After landing in front of the large, circular building, he immediately made his way to the door and started pounding on it, demanding that it be opened. Soon enough, several guards surrounded him, commanding him to either stop or die.

He knew he could easily wipe all of them out. He knew he could burn the door to ashes but Sakura's face flickered in his mind.

'_I'm so glad that everyone will finally be able to see you in a new light,'_ she had told him.

He raised his hands up in surrender. Then, disappeared.

Sasuke lay in his bed, blankly staring at the ceiling. He had failed. Again. He was a failure. And a failure like him didn't even _deserve_ Sakura.

He shifted to his side, leaving his bare back exposed to the cold wind blowing in through the window.

He sighed. 'Nii-san.'

The wind became stronger and the sound of paper rustling filled the room.

He looked back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry, I just can't expect anything else from Kakashi. :3 Anyway, hope you liked ittt. Leave me some feedback? :D


	4. Simple

**A/N: **Thank you for your response! Well, here we are with the last chapter for this story. I personally really enjoyed writing this one, so I hope you all enjoy reading it too! :3

* * *

><p>He looked back.<p>

On his bedside table, lay an unmistakable book. The wind had forced it open. He stared at it. Then, sat up. He extended his hand, pulling it towards him.

The idea hit him like a ton of bricks. Sasuke was stunned. Stunned by his own stupidity. For a minute or two, he could do nothing but stare at the book in his hands. The memory of Sakura lying in his lap with this very book came flooding back. And then, more memories followed.

'_I... I love you with all my heart! If you were to stay with me... there would be no regrets. Because every day, we'd so something fun. We'd be happy, I swear!'_

He had never been perfect. But Sakura had loved him anyway.

'_But I love you! No matter what has happened, I still care for you more than I can bear… if I could have taken all your pain... onto myself to comfort you, I would have...'_

She had loved him even without the romantic dinners, fireworks and fancy theatrical performances. She had loved him at his worst.

'_This girl here... who you've been more than ready to kill… even now, she's crying tears filled with thoughts of you... because she loves you so much, it's breaking her heart!'_

And she had loved him throughout.

'_All Sakura wanted just now was to be yours! She only wanted to save you!'_

Sakura didn't need a perfect man, a perfect proposal. She just needed… him.

'_Please stay with me. I'll even help you with your revenge. I don't know what I could do but I'll try my best to do something. So please, stay with me... or take me with you, if you can't stay here...'_

He was enough for her. He always had been.

He flipped through the pages, searching for a bit he was sure he had read here before.

He stopped. And smiled. 'Orange blossom.'

After memorizing the content of the page, he slipped out of bed and put on a shirt.

Yamanaka Hana would surely have a flower as common as that, he mused. But another thought struck him. He turned to look at the clock.

He groaned. It was already past three in the morning. Sasuke knew there was no way anything would be open at this hour. But he also knew there was no way he would be able to wait.

He went out, deciding that he'd find the flower the old fashioned way.

Orange blossoms, as obvious as it seemed, grew on orange trees. Now, where in Konoha could he find orange trees? He closed his eyes, searching his brain for any relevant information it might have stored.

_Sasuke quietly sat in the Third Training Ground, meditating._

_Thump. Something firm hit his head and he opened his eyes to find Naruto sniggering at him._

_He looked down to see a small, orange sphere lying on the ground before him._

'_What do you think you're doing?' Sasuke muttered, glaring at Naruto._

'_FRUIT FIGHT!' Naruto yelled, before hurling another orange at Sasuke._

Sasuke opened his eyes. He smirked, before dashing off towards the ever so familiar training ground.

.-.-.

Sakura could not sleep. She had spent the last five hours tossing and turning and she just couldn't take any more of it. She jumped out of bed, heading towards the kitchen.

This was all Sasuke's fault. She scowled. She couldn't believe he had just walked out on her like that. Yes, she knew Kakashi's prank had made him angry. It had made her angry too. But did his anger matter more to him than she did? And then he leaves Naruto and Sai to take her home?

'Very nice, Sasuke-kun,' she mumbled. 'Very nice.'

She sighed as she walked into the kitchen and turned on the lights.

Sasuke had been acting unbelievably paradoxical lately. It was beginning to disturb her. What had gotten into him? What was he trying to do? Was he okay? Was something bothering him?

She wished he would just be open with her at this point. What was he scared of? Didn't he know that she would always be there for him? That she would love him no matter what?

She dragged herself towards the freezer and opened it.

.-.-.

It was dark. Too dark. Too dark for anyone who was not a botanist to identify which of these endless trees were orange trees and then, which of the orange trees actually had mature orange blossoms on them.

Now, Sasuke was no botanist, but he_ was_ an Uchiha. He blinked, swapping his onyx irises for ruby and lilac ones. The details of his surroundings instantly became clearer.

He jumped up a particular tree, examining one of its branches carefully. He smirked as his fingers felt something smooth around the fruit. He gently plucked one of the flowers and landed back on the ground.

Now, he just had to go see Sakura.

'_It's too late,'_ his voice of reason said. _'You should wait a little longer.'_

'Not happening,' Sasuke exhaled before zooming towards Sakura's house.

And as far as he knew, she'd probably be awake too.

.-.-.

Sakura dug her spoon into the ice-cream tub sitting before her on the kitchen table. She had already eaten halfway through it. She stuck the spoon back in her mouth, relishing the mix of strawberry and vanilla on her taste buds.

A sudden knock on the main door startled her. She looked up at the clock on the wall to her right. It was nearly half past four. She jumped out of her seat, seriously alarmed by the idea that someone had actually decided to visit her at such an ungodly hour.

As she hesitantly walked up to the door, hundreds of thoughts filled her head. Had there been some sort of emergency? Did someone need her help? She gasped. What if someone had come to rob her? Well, not like she couldn't take care of it, if they had.

'W-Who is it?' she questioned as he she placed her hand on the handle.

'Sasuke,' an all too familiar voice replied.

Sakura sighed of relief. It was just Sasuke. But wait, why was he here at this time? Had he come to apologize?

'_He could've just done it in the morning,'_ she thought.

She pulled open the door and saw Sasuke standing at an arm's length. Their eyes met.

He extended his arm and unclenched his fist to reveal a small, white flower resting on his palm.

She recognized it. It was an 'orange blossom'. She had seen it in his book just the other day. She strained her memory, trying to remember what the flower represented. And then it came to her. This flower symbolized… _marriage_.

She looked up at him, eyes watery, mouth agape.

'Marry me,' he said.

Her breath hitched in her throat.

'I'm sorry nothing has gone right in the past few days,' he continued. 'I'm sorry I just... left you like that last night. I couldn't face you.'

Her heart started hammering against her chest.

'I'm sorry this... this took so long.'

Her anger, her hurt, her confusion, her _sanity_, all began to slip away.

'I'm... flawed. I haven't even managed to say... 'I love you'. But you... you've always accepted me. You... make me better.'

She could hear the blood rushing through her veins.

'I want you to be mine,' he declared.

Her heart skipped a beat.

'Forever. But even more than that, I... want to be yours. I want to be Sakura's... everything.'

A whimper finally escaped her lips.

'Marry me.'

And her tears fell.

.-.-.

She was crying. He had never seen her… so overwhelmed. Not when he had left, not when he had returned. This Sakura… was different. This Sakura… wasn't broken. This Sakura… was complete. And she was beautiful. More beautiful than she had ever been.

He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair soothingly.

'I've always wanted to say this to you,' he began as he felt his chest get wet. 'There have been so many times when I told myself to just say it, but I couldn't.'

She stifled a sob and he felt her breathe more evenly now.

'I've always wanted to say... 'Sakura, don't cry. I'm not worth those tears.' But even then, Sakura... say yes,' he finished.

Sakura exhaled, before pulling back and smiling breathtakingly at him. She wiped away her tears.

'Ye…,' she inhaled sharply. 'Yes.'

Sasuke felt fireworks explode deep inside his gut and the fragments rise all the way up to his chest.

And then, it happened.

She stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his, grabbing onto his shoulders for support.

He felt a sudden jolt of electricity blast right through him. He couldn't move. Could barely even return it. His body was as hot as fire, his mind as cold as ice. He was completely, indisputably _numb_.

As Sakura released him and he regained some of his mental ability, he thought it was _insane_. Insane how something as slight and quick as that could have had such a massive effect on him. It had _paralyzed_ him.

He panted as he lowered his forehead to rest against hers.

And as the first few rays of sunlight broke through the night sky, for Sasuke and Sakura, it signified much more than the beginning of a new day. It signified… the beginning of their new life. Together.

'I will love you forever, Sasuke-kun,' Sakura whispered.

And Sasuke felt a slight pang in his chest as the familiarity of the situation and her words seeped into him. His eyes stung. He closed them and briefly touched her lips with his again.

'Thank you,' he murmured.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** And tada! This chapter not only wraps up this story, but also the whole trilogy. And I figured what began with some Itachi symbolism should also end with some Itachi symbolism. :3 I had initially planned to add one extra post-marriage chapter to this story but I've decided to put that on hold for now and maybe I'll upload it as a separate one-shot later, simply because it can easily be read without having to read any of these chapters. :) I might also write a one-shot set after Naruto and Sasuke's final battle but before his departure in 699. I can't say when these two works will be put up though, but if you have any requests for them, feel free to let me know!

Thank you for reading this story! I would love to read your thoughts on this chapter, this story and this series as a whole so, if you can, please leave me some feedback! :')


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